Grass in the stem.
f/3.2 | 1/40 sec | 105mm
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Day 152 - Fiery Sky
I got up from my desk and saw this. McMahon Stadium - at the same time that U2 is playing Commonwealth. I was intrigued by the 'fire' reflection, so left it. And yes, the sky was that red.
f/10 | 1/1600 sec | 200mm
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Month 5 in Review - May
This month was incredible for photography. Traveling to Colorado and Utah provided me with endless photo opportunities wherever I went. I shot the mountains, sand dunes, arches and canyons, and oddities along the way. Although I didn't take tripod photos every day (there was just too much to see, too many places to get to and not enough time), I feel that I came back with a dozen images which I really enjoy. And I learned that photographing the desert and red landscapes is very, very different from photographing grey mountains.
Perhaps my most serious effort ever at getting a single shot was at Mesa Arch on May 8th, where I woke up at 3:00am in Moab, left town at 4:20, and arrived in Canyonlands just after 5:10am after seeing the most incredibly Milky Way and dark night sky along the way. I think I was the fifth person there; about twenty others appeared before sunrise, and as those rays poked through, the shutters went off. I never experienced anything like it. Click, click, click, click - kinda like the Camera Store video that's gone viral. In a way it was crowded, not the solitude in the middle of nowhere that I may have expected. And in a way it seemed surreal. After over a year of looking at Mesa Arch sunrise photos, I sat there behind the arch, about to see the same in person. Would I have to pinch myself or what? I got 289 shots during those two hours (mostly thanks to bracketing and test shots for composition while it was still dark), which I have condensed down to about five keepers.
Some stats for May:
Perhaps my most serious effort ever at getting a single shot was at Mesa Arch on May 8th, where I woke up at 3:00am in Moab, left town at 4:20, and arrived in Canyonlands just after 5:10am after seeing the most incredibly Milky Way and dark night sky along the way. I think I was the fifth person there; about twenty others appeared before sunrise, and as those rays poked through, the shutters went off. I never experienced anything like it. Click, click, click, click - kinda like the Camera Store video that's gone viral. In a way it was crowded, not the solitude in the middle of nowhere that I may have expected. And in a way it seemed surreal. After over a year of looking at Mesa Arch sunrise photos, I sat there behind the arch, about to see the same in person. Would I have to pinch myself or what? I got 289 shots during those two hours (mostly thanks to bracketing and test shots for composition while it was still dark), which I have condensed down to about five keepers.
Some stats for May:
- Favourite photo: Day 128 - Shafer Trail
- Least favourite photo: Day 145 - New Food
- Most challenging photo to take: Bonus Photo (Day 128) - Mesa Arch
- Most creative photo: Day 126 - Time Stands Still (the lens was only one inch from the truck)
- Most used Photoshop edits: sponge (saturate), unsharp mask
- Number of photos taken this month: ~2,230
- Number of days on which I wouldn't have taken a photo if I didn't have to for this: 14/31
- How I feel about this project: I'm starting to think that I'll do another year after this one. I'm enjoying this, remembering mundane daily things that would long be forgotten if they weren't captured in photos.
Day 151 - Desktop
It's the last day of the month and I nearly forgot to take a photo before going to bed.
f/3.5 | 1/60 sec | 18mm
Monday, May 30, 2011
Day 150 - Blooming in Kensington
Does anyone know what these are? These trees are blooming all over the city.
f/5.6 | 1/400 sec | 200mm
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Day 149 - Spring
Range Road 23, somewhere between Symons Valley and Bearspaw.
f/10 | 1/400 sec | 36mm
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Day 147 - New Desk
Drawer fronts are reclaimed peroba wood from South America. This is my first photo (out of 8,100 on this camera) where I have actually left the flash on.
f/3.8 | 1/60 sec | 26mm
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Day 146 - Seduced by Canadian Tire's Camping Aisle
If I had a car camping buddy I might go for an air mattress, the mansion of a tent, portable BBQ, and loungy chair. Easy when you don't have to haul it all in a backpack.
f/4.5 | 1/50 sec | 48mm
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Day 145 - New Food
My eating habits need to change, so I got falafels and Russian salad from Kalamata.
f/4.2 | 1/60 sec | 38mm
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Day 144 - Living
I really want to figure out how people take indoor architectural photos without the lighting being off. I'm tired, so have no patience for a better photo today.
f/4.5 | 1/8 sec | 8mm
Monday, May 23, 2011
Day 143 - Start of the Den Renos
Red walls are gone and valance is up. Waiting for desk, and still need to design new shelving. Reflections due to picture being taken through glass from the dining room.
f/5 | 1/30 | 12mm
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Day 136 - Sand Dunes Crane Migration
This ia a watercolour card that I got at the Great Sand Dunes (Day 125). I'm collecting the pieces for my den renovation, which will have a bit of a nature theme to it.
f/3.2 | 1/40 sec | 105mm
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Day 134 - Sir Elton John
Sixty-four years old and going non-stop for nearly three hours.
f/5.6 | 1/15 sec | 200mm
Friday, May 13, 2011
Day 133 - Desert Solitaire
Inspired by hiking in the desert, this book is now on my nightstand.
f/5 | 1/10 sec | 75mm
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Day 131 - Moab Rock Shop
I've wanted to pay a visit to Lin Ottinger's Moab Rock Shop ever since I came across this one-of-a-kind place online over a year ago. Very cool place.
f/4.5 | 1/80 sec | 22mm
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Day 130 - The Needles
This was taken on the approach to the Elephant Hill trailhead in the Needles district of Canyonlands National Park.
f/11 | 1/500 sec | 8mm
Monday, May 9, 2011
Day 129 - Salt Valley
A backroad in one of the more remote parts of Arches National Park. Photo taken near the intersection with Klondike Bluffs.
f/11 | 1/500 sec | 8mm
Bonus Photo - Mesa Arch
Yesterday I was too tired to look through all my photos from the day, so am posting this one a day late. Being out in Canyonlands for sunrise to witness this scene was one of my main goals of this trip. On the way out we were also treated to a perfectly dark sky with an amazing show of stars and the Milky Way.
Composite of three bracketed images
f25 | 1/4 sec - 1/8 sec | 32mm
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Day 127 - Morning Glory Arch
Had an incredible day hiking to Morning Glory Arch and Fisher Towers, where we also saw a group from Alberta climb Ancient Art, which is argued by many to be the most unique summit in the world.
f/8 | 1/40 sec | 8mm
Friday, May 6, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Day 125 - Dune Summit
Note the people making their way up. Lots of fun coming down these. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.
f/8 | 1/1000 sec | 200mm
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Day 124 - Pikes Peak (4,302m)
For over two years I've planned on making it to the top, intending it to be my first 14,000er. I got turned back at 3,480m due to excessive wind gusts.
f/11 | 1/500 | 52mm
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Day 123 - Atmospheric Research
Completely unedited photo. Learn more about the National Center for Atmospheric Research.
f/11 | 1/500 sec | 18mm
Monday, May 2, 2011
Day 122 - Blooming in Boulder
Got into Boulder at 6:30pm, then went for a drive up Boulder Mountain Park, gaining 700m of elevation. Flatirons in distance.
f/7.1 | 1/200 sec | 31mm
